A particularly desirable form of conventional mailer includes a tear strip feature on the outgoing envelope. One particular form of this type of mailer is a ZIP STRIP.RTM. mailer such as sold by Moore Business Forms, Inc. of Glenview, Ill. While such a feature is desirable, the return envelope typically does not have an easy opening feature associated therewith. Typically when the addressor of the outgoing envelope receives the return envelopes back, they are opened in such a way that damage to the contents thereof may occur. Normally, a mechanical letter opener is used to access the return envelope, slitting open one edge, again with possible damage to the contents.
According to the present invention, a mailer construction is provided, and a method of continuously making such mailers, wherein the return envelope is also provided with a tear strip. This allows the addressor of the outgoing envelope to also easily access the contents of the envelope returned to it by the addressee of the outgoing envelope, efficient manual removal of the contents of the return envelope without significant possibility for damaging the contents thereof being possible.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method of continuously constructing mailer type business forms is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Providing first and second sheets of an outgoing envelope, each sheet having first, second, third and fourth edges. (b) Providing first and second sheets for a return envelope, each having first, second, third and fourth edges. (c) Forming a slit in the first sheet parallel to the second edge thereof, and intersecting the first edge thereof, and a perforation adjacent and parallel to the first edge, and intersecting the slit, in each of the outgoing and return envelopes, to provide an easy opening tear strip. (d) Applying adhesive connecting the first and second sheets of the outgoing envelope together at edges thereof, to form an outgoing envelope. And, (e) applying adhesive connecting the first and second sheets of the return envelope together at three edges thereof, leaving one open edge to allow access to the interior of the return envelope. Typically step (c) is practiced by providing the perforation of the tear strip perpendicular to the open edge of the return envelope, and in the bottom sheet of the return envelope, address information being provided on the top sheet of the return envelope. Also the bottom sheet of the return envelope typically is wider than the top sheet of the return envelope, overlapping at the fourth edge thereof, and having adhesive applied to the overlapping portion so that it can be bent back over and adhesively secured to the top sheet of the return envelope.
It is desirable to provide the tear strips in the outgoing and return envelopes parallel to each other, both in the bottom sheets of the respective outgoing and return envelopes. It is also desirable to provide an insert between the top sheet of the outgoing envelope and the top sheet of the return envelope, the insert not being adhesively secured to either envelope. The insert may have an edge portion which is adhesively secured to the outgoing envelope, but there is a die cut or perforation between the edge portion of the insert and the insert so that the insert may be readily removed from the outgoing envelope.
According to another aspect of the present invention a mailer type business form is provided. The business form comprises: An outgoing envelope comprising first and second sheets, each sheet having first, second, third and fourth edges, an adhesive securing the first and second sheets together at edges thereof. A slit formed parallel to and adjacent the second edge and intersecting the first edge, and a perforation disposed adjacent and parallel to the first edge and intersecting the slit, the perforation extending from the slit to essentially the fourth edge, both the slit and perforation being formed in the first sheet of the outgoing envelope to provide an easily openable tear strip. A return envelope disposed within the outgoing envelope, the return envelope formed from first and second sheets each having first through fourth edges, with adhesive attaching three of the edges together but leaving a fourth edge open to allow access to the interior of the return envelope. And, a slit formed parallel to and adjacent the second edge and intersecting the first edge, and a perforation disposed adjacent and parallel to the first edge and intersecting the slit, the perforation extending from the slit to essentially the fourth edge, both the slit and perforation being formed in the first sheet of the return envelope to provide an easily openable tear strip.
In this continuation-in-part application, additional embodiments of the invention are disclosed which incorporate tear strips for facilitating the opening of the return envelope by the original addressor, upon receiving the return envelope from the addressee. In these additional embodiments, a single sheet is utilized to form the first and second panels of the outgoing envelope, while at the same time, the rear panel of the outgoing envelope also serves as the rear panel of the return envelope.
Thus, the newly added embodiments of this invention provide a mailer business form comprising, in their broader aspects, an outgoing envelope comprising a first sheet folded along a fold line to form first and second panels each having three marginal edge portions, a return envelope comprising a second sheet overlying the second panel and adhesively secured to the second panel inwardly adjacent the three marginal edge portions such that the second panel forms a rear panel of both the outgoing envelope and then return envelope; a slit formed in the second panel parallel to and adjacent one of the marginal edge portions, and a pair of parallel lines of perforations extending perpendicularly from opposite ends of the slit toward the fold line so as to provide an easily openable tear strip in the rear panel to facilitate access to the interior of the return envelope.
It is the principal object of this invention to provide mailer type business forms with tear strips to facilitate opening of the outgoing and/or return envelopes. Other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.